It doesn’t get any better than this thick, creamy tomato bisque recipe, seasoned with just a hint of basil. I love serving it with a big slice of fresh, crusty sourdough bread (or better yet – served IN a sourdough bread bowl when I’m feeling extra decadent!)
Ever since childhood, tomato soup has been my favorite. It was comfort food when I was recovering from a cold or a bad day at school. A bowl of tomato soup tasted like home.
These days I’m no longer a fan of canned soups, because they seem to have a metallic aftertaste that I never noticed growing up. Luckily, homemade tomato soup and tomato bisque are easy to make, better than the store versions, and to top it all off– my favorites are often made from canned tomatoes, making it a perfect year-round soup.
Tomato Bisque Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Dried basil
- Whole peeled Roma tomatoes
- Chicken stock
- Heavy cream
I still remember Chef Brian, one of my culinary school chefs, saying that “sometimes canned tomatoes are the superior product.” He was right. The great thing about this is that when I’m craving homemade tomato soup in the middle of winter (or even a tried-and-true recipe in the height of tomato season), I don’t need to look further than my pantry.
Now, if you eat a tomato straight from the can without any manipulation, it’s going to have that same tinny aftertaste I referenced at the beginning. But if you treat those jewels properly, you’ll have liquid gold. My Pappa Al Pomodoro (Tomato Bread Soup) is another great example of this.
This creamy tomato basil soup is rich, but it’s also quite filling which means you don’t need much. It’s perfect for chilly winter days, or if you’ve had a bad day at elementary school.
Recipe Notes
- The recipe I adapted from starts with 6 tablespoons of olive oil, and I almost wonder if that was a typo. You could probably even drop this down to 1 tablespoon. You only need a light coating on the bottom of the sauce pan.
- If you can’t find Roma tomatoes, other canned whole tomatoes are fine.
- I’m not usually a fan of dried basil, but Serious Eats recommended it here and I agree that it works. If you don’t want to purchase it, you can omit it. Keep in mind that using fresh basil may alter the flavor, but it certainly won’t hurt!
- The carrots add a nice sweetness and bulk to the tomato soup, but I’ve seen similar recipes that use butternut squash as the “filler” ingredient. I think that 4 cups of diced butternut squash would work well here! (However, as a disclaimer – I didn’t test that theory).
How to Chop an Onion
This recipe calls for chopped onions. Check out my fast and easy technique for how to chop an onion with step-by-step photos!
Tomato Bisque
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced (approximately 2 cups)
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced (approximately 4 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil, crushed
- 3 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled Roma tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1 quart chicken stock, either homemade or low-sodium (use vegetable stock for a vegetarian soup)
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, then add the garlic and basil. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After allowing soup to cool for a few minutes, purée in a blender or food processor until smooth (in batches if necessary).
- Slowly stir in the cream over low heat, until the soup is just heated through. Season with salt and pepper, and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
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Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Tomato bisque has always been one of my favorites!
Stephan Fleck says
Won’t the carrots make the soup sweet?
Jennifer Farley says
Hi Stephan! The carrots aren’t much sweeter than the tomatoes, so they keep the bisque at a similar sweetness level. If it makes you more comfortable, you can certainly swap out some of the carrots for tomatoes (equal amounts by volume). The carrots help thicken up the soup.
Carolyn says
Soups like this make me unbelievably happy!
Jennifer Blake says
While I never liked tomato soup as a kid (probably because it always came from a can), I can now appreciate a great tomato soup when I taste one! I just recently bought ingredients and am so happy I’ve now found this recipe to use them with!!
Jennifer Blake says
Sorry, forgot the rating!
Leigh Ann says
One of my favorite meals to make when the weather is chilly!
Natasha @ Salt and Lavender says
I LOVE a good tomato soup! This one looks perfect.
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
This sounds super tasty!
Gina @Running to the Kitchen says
Yummmm! This looks perfect! Such a delicious, cozy meal!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
So creamy!! Tomato based soups are my favorite!
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
Love the carrots in this!
gerry says
Love the idea of serving it in a bread bowl! This was excellent.
Tatiana says
I gave this recipe a try because I loooove tomato bisque soup, but unfortunately was a bit disappointed. The amount of carrot and cream overwhelmed the soup. Thanks for sharing anyway.
Mary Olaire says
Can I freeze this soup for a week? I want to make it for a group ahead of time. Thanks
Jennifer Farley says
Hi Mary! I think that should be fine. I always recommend tasting the soup after defrosting; sometimes it needs to be re-seasoned.
Pam Hunley says
Made this soup for my family tonight, and we all LOVED it!!!! So creamy and perfect flavor.
Diane Scanzaroli says
I made the soup last evening and served it with sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches. The soup was heavenly. I really like the balance of flavors and think the carrots really added a sweetness. Thank you
Jennifer Farley says
I’m so happy to see this! Thank you for commenting and rating the recipe :)